This invention relates to a physical conditioning apparatus required for the many various means of training athletes for contact sports, such as football, rugby, lacrosse, soccer, hockey and other contact sports.
Athletes, particularly football players, are required to physically contact and overcome an opponent, either by blocking, tackling, or running over their opponent. In learning to accomplish this, the athlete is subjected to much physical abuse, and, a high incidence of injury. However, the athlete must develop the ability to deliver his maximum hitting force, and to receive the resultant counter force. Therefore, the athlete must run against another athlete and hit into him, again, and again, in order for his body to develop driving power, balance, break-away ability, and a mental attitude that he can, and will, out hit and overcome his opponent, regardless of abuse.
Prior art apparatus, as an example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,519,269, Penny & Howlett, allows an athlete to run from a pull responsive tether, while being restrained by shoulder straps, requiring a second person regulating the tether. However this apparatus does not allow for a consistant controllable violent impact, nor is an athletes shoulders capable of safely absorbing such a force. Other prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,776, Hockesvick, again allows for a pull-responsive tether for exercising. Again U.S. Pat. No. 1,543,346 Titus, illustrates an exercise apparatus from a head harness, using a tether and weight extened over a pulley. Again U.S. Pat. No. 1,345,533, Chytracek illustrates a shock absorbing parachute harness strap, but is dissimilar to our use.
Other training devices such as, blocking sleds, which allows athletes to push against, and strike with their shoulders allow for limited impact conditioning, though effective for other much needed phases of conditioning.
The force a person can develop can be theoretically calculated by the equation: Force = 1/2mv.sup.2. The force he can develop is proportional to 1/2 his mass, which is his weight divided by the gravity constant 32.2 lbs/sec.sup.2, times the square of his velocity at the time of contact, or impact. The chart, FIG. 9 illustrates the theoretical force developed by a 128.8 pound athlete over his range of speed.
Often, athletes are capable of running 100 yards in 10 seconds, for convenience this figure will be used as the upper limit of speed for the athlete. This is equivalent to approximately 20.8 miles per hour, 10 yards per second, or 30 feet per second. To establish the chart with the force equation = 1/2mv.sup.2 we will use feet per second, also illustrating the approximating mile per hour, of which we are more familiar with.
It is evident from the chart, (FIG. 9) that the speed that an athlete attains at impact is very important, regardless of his weight. Provided he can deliver, and absorb the forces. Presently, most athletes learn to contact an opponent by running against each other. The physical abuse resulting from this manner of training often creates contact shy, injured athletes. Athletes often slow down to hit during conditioning, to survive. Resulting consequences are that the athletes body never becomes used to, nor develops strength, balance, or break-away ability.
Many established athletes must keep in top hitting form but cannot endure the contact training required. They compromise in training with less contact, and often tolerate some loss of ability.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a means of teaching the athlete the importance of speed in contact sports; of measuring his force developed; to condition his body for impact at the maximum speed he can attain over varying distances; to condition his body to achieve maximum force at impact and to sustain the driving force; to condition a pair of athletes competing against each other without contact, while achieving maximum force; to condition an athlete to achieve maximum force and develop the break-away running ability. Moreover, because of the apparatus design, the invention will accomplish the teaching, measuring, and conditioning, without requiring the athletes to physically contact each other. Thereby keeping physical abuse, and injury to a minimum.
In short, most prior art conditioning apparatus are not suitable in preparing an athlete, mentally, or physically to deliver his maximum hitting force, also receiving the resultant counter-force. Prior art apparatus cannot simulate the impact an athlete would receive at higher speeds without incurring physical abuse or injury.